Bust

Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

Temple Bar memorial Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

Erection date: 1881

The west face is framed with pilasters each side, decorated with emblems of "war" to the left and "peace" to the right. Carved in the stone between the pilasters is a medallion portrait of Prince Albert Victor.

Site: Temple Bar memorial (9 memorials)

EC4, Fleet Street

This is the site of the 17th century Temple Bar entrance to the City of London. Having become an obstruction to circulation it was removed in 1879 and this monument unveiled in 1881, as a memorial to the old Temple Bar and as a marker for the entrance to the City at the point where it was traditional for the Lord Mayor to welcome royal visitors to the City.

This is a typically overwrought late Victorian edifice, topped with a giant griffin (or dragon; there are competing definitions of the differences) by Charles Birch. The north and south sides hold large statues of Queen Victoria and, the soon to be, Edward VII. To east and west are medallion portraits of the Lord Mayor at the time, Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott, and Prince Albert Victor, the King we never had. At the bottom of the west face gilt lettering carved into the granite base announces "City of London".

Each side holds a bronze relief plaque, one of which states that the monument is aligned exactly with the west side the old Temple Bar and specifies the north-south displacement - a good example of Victorian flamboyance married to technical confidence. A carved pillar is placed at each corner, decorated with symbols for arts, science, peace and war.  Arts includes two busts: to the north Homer and to the south Chaucer.

We have treated many of these features as separate memorials and give more details of each one on its own page. Ornamental Passions has a very good post on this edifice.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

Subjects commemorated i

Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence

On his 28th birthday the eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (Edwa...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

Also at this site i

Temple Bar memorial

Temple Bar memorial

{On the frieze at the top of the monument, above the columns, text runs aroun...

Read More

Temple Bar memorial - Edward VII

Temple Bar memorial - Edward VII

The niche on the north face holds a marble statue of the Prince of Wales, lat...

Read More

Temple Bar memorial - Homer

Temple Bar memorial - Homer

Homer {in ancient Greek lettering}

Read More

Temple Bar memorial - Prince of Wales's typhoid recovery

Temple Bar memorial - Prince of Wales's typhoid recovery

{On the north face, below the statue there is a bronze relief showing Victori...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Basaveshwara statue

Basaveshwara statue

SE1, Albert Embankment

The project to erect the statue was masterminded by Dr Patil.

1 subject commemorated, 4 creators
Bermondsey Library - 1 - Homer

Bermondsey Library - 1 - Homer

SE16, Spa Road, Old Bermondsey Library / Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist centre

We would not describe this face as ugly so it can't be Socrates. We reckon it's Homer - he's often shown with a beanie hat.

1 subject commemorated
Jellicoe bust

Jellicoe bust

WC2, Trafalgar Square

Left to right these busts are: Cunningham, Jellicoe and Beatty, that well known legal firm. (Unusually there is an error in the Margaret ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Wimbledon Library - Shakespeare

Wimbledon Library - Shakespeare

SW19, Wimbledon Hill Road, Wimbledon Library

Shakespeare to the left, Milton to the right.

1 subject commemorated
Frederick Craufurd Goodenough

Frederick Craufurd Goodenough

WC1, Mecklenburgh Square

In a niche over the original central entrance (now mainly disused in favour of the north entrance).

2 subjects commemorated